Vijay Pande on Smaller Bets After Leading $4B Biotech at a16z

Vijay Pande, who previously managed a16z's $4 billion biotech division, has moved on to start VZVC, a smaller firm focused on artificial intelligence.

He explains that biology is evolving from a discovery-based science to one centered on engineering principles.

Despite advances, clinical trials remain very costly, posing challenges for biotech innovation.

Pande believes that open and shared datasets, rather than isolated ones, are crucial for AI to effectively transform medicine.

He also notes that making smaller, more targeted investments is now preferable to large-scale bets in the biotech sector.